Former Cal Poly wrestler Mendes lands title rematch against Aldo at UFC 176

José Aldo, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s dominant featherweight champion, will defend his belt in a rematch against top-ranked contender and former Cal Poly wrestler Chad Mendes of Sacramento on Aug. 2 at Staples Center in UFC 176.

Aldo (24-1) is the UFC’s second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter. He last fought at UFC 169 in February, beating Ricardo Lamas by unanimous decision.

The Brazilian handed Mendes (16-1) his only defeat, in January 2012 at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, by first-round technical knockout.

Since, Mendes is 5-0 with four knockouts.

Mendes tweeted Monday: “Just smashed a 4 mile run at about a 7:30 pace. Nothin crazy but it Felt good to get outside!”

Aldo is 6-0 in the UFC and ranked behind only light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the organization’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Mendes was a two-time NCAA Division I All-America honoree at Cal Poly, including a runner-up national finish at 141 pounds in 2008.

Staples Center hasn’t hosted a UFC card in two years, when former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defeated Brandon Vera.

Tickets for UFC 176 go on sale June 13.

This story was originally published May 6, 2014 at 12:30 AM with the headline "Former Cal Poly wrestler Mendes lands title rematch against Aldo at UFC 176."